Tag Archives: birding

Quonnie Pond (R.I.)

Posted on October 11, 2018 by rivertoprambles

Quonochontaug Pond, or “Quonnie Pond,” as it’s known to many locals, is a salt lagoon (or lake) located in southern Rhode Island. The pond, with its 4.5 mile shoreline, became my touchstone for saltwater fly-fishing in the state when I … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Atlantic, birding, fly-fishing, nature, Newport, photography, Providence, Quonochontaug, Rhode Island, salt marsh, saltwater fishing, sanctuary, striped bass, Touchstone | 10 Comments

Old Man Knows Good Beer

Posted on June 19, 2018 by rivertoprambles

The work week was winding down; I was standing at the check-out counter with a six of a favorite IPA, thinking of the fly-fishing prospects for the weekend and a slew of odd jobs that required doing before the long … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged beer, birding, bobolinks, choices, fly-fishing, friendship, hiking, knowledge, nature, old age, Rocky Mountains, travel, whip-poor-will | 22 Comments

Wings Over Water

Posted on May 23, 2018 by rivertoprambles

There were plenty of quiet moments at the book signing event, so I was glad to have some fly-tying stuff on hand. My books were piled up on the corner of a table in the store; my vise stood before … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged beauty, birding, fly tying, fly-fishing, migration, nature, Oswayo Creek, songbirds, Tao Te Ching, truth, Water, writing | 14 Comments

Coda: the Dakotas and East

Posted on September 6, 2017 by rivertoprambles

With the weight of Glacier National Park and its surroundings sitting feather-like in our thoughts and on our shoulders, we drove eastward through Montana and on to North Dakota. The immense plateaus of eastern Montana were especially dry, and recent … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged birding, bison, Brookings, burrowing owls, fly-fishing, marriage anniversary, Montana, North Dakota, photography, prairie dogs, sharp-tailed grouse, South Dakota, Theodore Roosevelt Nat'l Park, Time, travel | 16 Comments

Top of the Rockies, Colorado

Posted on August 15, 2017 by rivertoprambles

Our re-introduction to the state of Colorado began with the upper Rio Grande, especially near Wagon Wheel Gap and Creede. I felt a bit remorseful for passing by the Conejos River, an excellent trout stream that I’ll have to visit … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Arkansas River, birding, Colorado, Denver, Dream Lake, environment, fly-fishing, green-backed cutthroats, hiking, nature, ouzels, photography, Rio Grande, Rocky Mountains, Rocky Mtn Nat'l Park, storms, travel | 12 Comments

Rivertops West

Posted on July 10, 2017 by rivertoprambles

On July 13, two residents from western New York State, plus four fly rods and reels, and other assorted camping gear, will be headed for the Rocky Mountains. Actually we’ll start our explorations in Alamogordo, New Mexico with a brief … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged birding, camping, fishing western rivers, fly-fishing, Genesee River trout, hiking, journey West, Montana, New Mexico, parks and monuments, Rocky Mountains, vacations | 30 Comments

Staircase Run

Posted on May 16, 2017 by rivertoprambles

The day surely started out on a bright note– a little birding in the early morning sunshine of the yard, my small binoculars picking up a bit of the warblers waving through– Blackburnian, black-throated green, ovenbird, Louisiana water-thrush and, later, the black-throated blue warbler– … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged birding, Cedar Run, environment, fishing, fly-fishing, headwaters, hiking, nature, Pennsylvania, ravines, Slate Run, small streams, staircase, trout, wild, world view | 18 Comments

Caribbean Scrambles, Part 2

Posted on May 9, 2016 by rivertoprambles

Shortly before the trip to St. Croix, I was helping my chapter of Trout Unlimited collect trash along a highway in the Genesee River Valley. It was hot, and the winter’s accumulation of garbage was disgusting. Jim, whose daughter lives … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged adventure, birding, Caribbean Islands, Caribbean Scrambles Part 2, fishing, hiking, nature, photography, snorkeling, St. Croix, swimming, travel, U.S. Virgin Islands | 24 Comments

Caribbean Scrambles, Part 1

Posted on May 5, 2016 by rivertoprambles

St. Croix and the U.S. Virgin Islands are located about 1,100 miles southeast of Miami, Florida. The islands were first settled by Carib, Arawak and Cibonay peoples and were “discovered” by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the New … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged adventure, birding, Caribbean Islands, Caribbean Scrambles Part 1, fishing, hiking, nature, photography, snorkeling, St. Croix, swimming, travel, U.S. Virgin Islands | 12 Comments

Of Birds, Friends, Trout, and Hiking Trails

Posted on March 29, 2016 by rivertoprambles

I watched a pair of tundra swans on the local marsh. This species, now migrating to the far north, is known to pair for life– an admirable trait for those of us romantically inclined– but the bird whose symbolism really … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Alfred U., birding, Easter, fishing, friendship, hiking, loons, pagan views, Potter County, steelhead, swans | 17 Comments